Adventures in Making Yogurt - Version 1

This recipe is for 2 quarts drinkable yogurt or 1 quart thick yogurt + 1 quart whey.

What I used:

• 1 - medium sized cooler
• 5 - 1/2 gallon mason jars
• 1/2 gallon fresh milk
• 1/2 cup store bought plain organic yogurt (I used "Nancy's Organic Whole Milk Yogurt")
• Simple Thermometer
• Kitchen Thermometer (such as the kind you use for roasts)
• Hot tap water

Step One: Fill all 5 mason jars with hottest tap water possible,seal and place 4  of them in cooler with simple thermometer to regulate temperature.  Leave 5th one on the counter to warm remain warm.  While cooler is warming up inside....

Step Two: SLOWLY warm 1/2 gallon of milk on stove top until it reaches about 105 degrees, being careful not to go above 110 degrees.  *going over 110 compromises natural enzymes found in fresh milk - read more about all of that fun stuff HERE: http://nourishedkitchen.com/raw-milk-yogurt/

Step Three: Empty jar that was warming, pour most of warmed milk in pre-warmed jar, and using the last bit of milk to thin 1/2 cup store bought yogurt and pour that in with warmed milk.  Put on a tight lid and give it a shake.

Step Four: Check cooler temp (should have warmed up in there to about 110 degrees), if it's too hot, remove a jar of water and leave the lid open for about 30 seconds.  Close it up again, check the temp again in 5 minutes.  You want it to be about 110 degrees (give or take a few).  Add warmed jar of milk and yogurt mixture, close it up and DON'T OPEN IT AGAIN for at least 8 hours.

*if your cooler is not hot enough, maybe boil some water to fill one of the jars, add it to cooler, close and check temperature after 5 minutes.

Step Five: 8 hours later, open yogurt, give it a stir :) It should be about the thickness of a drinkable yogurt (or store bought kefir) - I haven't cultured it longer yet, but that might thicken it a bit more (above link recommends 8-12 hours).

FOR A THICKER YOGURT:

Place colander over a bowl, line it with a very thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth (I use what's called "flour sack towels"). 

Pour your yogurt into colander and let it strain in the fridge for a a few hours or overnight (I cover the top with plastic wrap).  The longer you let it drain, the thicker a yogurt you will get.  If you let it drip long enough you will get cream cheese :D which is tasty.  Overnight will yeild a nice thick yogurt like pictured above.  The liquid (whey) that drips out is highly useful in making other things - just google it.  

*straining the yogurt in a colander makes it easy to scoop out once it's done :)

** straining your yogurt will reduce the quantity - when I strained my yogurt overnight, I was left with 1 quart yogurt and 1 quart liquid whey.